Growing demand for delivery of video content poses one of the biggest challenges in mobile communications. Providing live video content may be even more challenging in certain situations. One example of such a situation is air travel, and it is becoming increasingly popular and necessary to provide in-flight entertainment to passengers and video teleconferencing for business travelers.
Certain aircraft satellite television systems have been developed to provide in-flight entertainment to passengers. Such systems may utilize antennas for receiving signals from satellites that provide television programming to passengers. While television programming may be provided utilizing such systems, they are very expensive to develop/operate. Furthermore, the satellites utilized for providing the television programming generally are the highest in EIRP (Effective Radiated Power) in order to close the link with inherently small antenna on the aircraft. Leasing high EIRP satellites is expensive.
Ground-based communication systems may provide a low-cost option for delivery of video contents. However, the elevated position and the relatively fast movement of the aircraft with respect to the ground-based communication systems may pose certain challenges (e.g., dropped frames in video contents). Therein lies the need to provide an air-to-ground communications system and method suitable for delivery of video contents.